The present invention relates generally to devices for recreational use and the like, and more specifically, to an apparatus for providing a competitive challenge while the participants are exercising their legs and developing agility and coordination skills.
A great many skill training devices and the like may be found in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,354,050, issued July 18, 1944, discloses a runner training apparatus having an elongate grid suspended a fixed distance above the surface. A fixed grid of foot tread areas are disposed a fixed distance above the surface and the device is permanently installed at the one location.
U S. Pat. No. 4,059,268 issued Nov. 22, 1977, to Charles Forrest, U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,435, issued Aug. 22, 1978, to James Coleman, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,134,586, issued Jan. 16, 1979, to James King all disclose similar training grids having a regular grid of foot tread areas, having various improvements, primarily by making the training grid somewhat portable and introducing flexibility into each of the grid members to minimize problems of injury. All of the devices, even the more portable ones, contemplate the user running through the grid from the one end to the other end, emphasizing the coordination of leg-eye skills and exemplifying the use as a training aid for football players.